The Jay Cutler decision would be a more difficult one had he been healthy in 2016 or even played as well as he did in 2015 in the few games he was healthy. Still, it seems more than likely that the two sides will part ways this offseason, given the Bears’ interest in moving forward in their search for the next long-term quarterback, and given that Cutler can be released with a mere $2 million cap hit.
Assuming he can’t be traded for a late-round pick, that is.
However the separation occurs, two of the teams previously deemed potential landing spots for Cutler might not have as much potential as we thought. Or so Adam Schefter suggests:
.@AdamSchefter doesn't believe Cutler will land w/ either the #49ers or the #Jets.
— Silvy (@WaddleandSilvy) February 9, 2017
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Each of the 49ers and Jets have deeply unsettled quarterback situations and a plausible connection to Cutler. But, like the Bears, they could be looking to land a younger, more long-term quarterback this offseason. We’ll see how things play out.
Meanwhile, to the extent you were wondering about the Cardinals as a possible Cutler destination, Chris Kwiencinski at Bears Wire says you can cross them off, as Carson Palmer’s return to Arizona almost certainly takes them out of the quarterback market. Palmer, 37, was solid in 2016, throwing for more than 4200 yards, though he did have his lowest passer rating (87.2) since his first season in Arizona, in 2013.
Luis Medina contributed to this post.